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Tired eyes will be a thing of the past once you get a hold of these complexion saviors. Brightening Serum Vitamin C
Let's cut to the chase: Concealer is a miracle worker of makeup products. Just as its name suggests, the complexion essential helps conceal all sorts of problematic areas, ranging from under-eye dark circles and blemishes to redness and scars. But masking blemishes isn't all that it can do: the right concealer can also brighten your appearance and doubles as a highlighter to awaken your skin by delivering healthy glow.
Understandably, choosing the right shade to match your skin type is no easy feat—especially when you're shopping on the internet. We tapped fashion and celebrity makeup artist Katie Mellinger, whose clients include actresses Emma Watson and Stephanie Beatriz, to break down everything you need to know about under eye concealers and help us narrow down the best options based on your skin type and concern.
If you know, you know. The cult-favorite concealer has topped numerous beauty best-of lists over the years for several reasons. For starters, it's enriched with hydrating ingredients (magnolia bark extract, grapeseed extract, vitamin E, just to name few) that nurtures skin while masking imperfections and minimizing signs of fatigue. It has an ultra-sumptuous formula that's buildable and provides 16-hours of radiant perfection. And lastly, NARS offers an extensive selection of true-match shades to choose from.
One reviewer says: "This has been my ride or die complexion product for a long time now. I don't even need to wear foundation as it covers the problematic areas pretty well and blends easily. It's easy to use and the mini size is compact hence easy to throw in my purse."
Key Ingredients: Magnolia Bark Extract, Grapeseed Extract, Vitamin E
Another longtime beauty must-have, YSL's Touche Éclat has a supremely lightweight formula that not only camouflages dark spots but also delivers a luminous, radiant finish that highlights, defines, and lifts facial features.
One reviewer says: "This concealer is light and creamy so you won't feel like you're being weighed down. The formula really lightens up your face to give you a fresh look! Just when you thought things couldn't get any better.. It lasts all day!"
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E
As someone who struggles with hereditary dark circles, I can confidently confirm that Shape Tape is, hands down, one of the best full-coverage concealers on the market. I've tried several options over the years, but nothing holds a candle to this non-drying matte formula (shea butter and mango butter are just some of the hydrating ingredients) that delivers a wide-eyed effect without creasing, caking, or transferring.
One reviewer, who calls it the "number one concealer," writes: "I have super dark under eyes and occasional blemishes but I use this with a beauty blender and it definitely conceals the imperfections. It's buildable too so could use more depending on severity of blemishes/dark spots."
Key Ingredients: Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Licorice Root
Clé de Peau's concealing stick is a long-time makeup artist favorite for a reason, says Mellinger. Its creamy formula provides optimal coverage, masking the look of dark circles and any imperfections, while leaving a radiant, natural finish that never creases. Better still, it lasts on skin for hours and contains SPF.
One reviewer writes: "Truly the best concealer! Creamy, perfect color, blends in completely and easily without settling into lines or coming off, yet it's undetectable. I use it under my eyes, but can also hide a spot or highlight the top of my lip naturally. This is my second tube and I would never use anything else."
Key Ingredients: Zingiber Aromaticus Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Argan Oil, Chestnut Rosa Fruit Extract
One swipe of Dior's concealer provides a high-coverage finish and radiant glow that's unmatched. It has a thicker consistency yet feels super lightweight and blends seamlessly to correct, even, and sculpt skin. Its also infused with caffeine, a common under-eye ingredient known for awakening the eye area.
One shopper says: "It applies so easily with the brush, and is not too watery or too thick. The consistency is just perfect. I spread some on with the brush and then use a beauty blender to blend it out under my eyes and across my lids. The result is me looking like I got a full night’s sleep, with no creasing or caking under my eyes. Even when I don’t set it with powder after... it’s now my HG."
This Maybelline concealer has more than 195,00 reviews on Amazon with an average 4.5 rating—so you know it's a goodie. Its buildable formula helps erase the appearance of all sorts of facial imperfections and never settles into fine lines and pores, leaving you with a fresh-faced look. Perhaps the best part of all? It's under $10.
One reviewer raves: "The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer is a game-changer! It conceals dark circles flawlessly, brightens up my under-eye area, and blends like a dream. Plus, it's super easy to apply and doesn't crease. I can't imagine my makeup routine without it. Highly recommend for a refreshed look!"
Key Ingredients: Goji Berry, Haloxyl
If it's a dewy look you want, it's a dewy look you'll get with this mini pot of creamy goodness that's formulated with skin-loving ingredients such as beesewax, jojoba oil, and mineral pigments. But that's not even the half of it. The formula is buildable, blendable, and transforms skin in an instant.
One reviewer writes: "Creamy product, easy to blend, I’d say a medium coverage, zero dryness but not for a full face heavy makeup kind of day. Perfect for a more natural look."
Key Ingredients: Beeswax and Microcrystalline Wax, Avocado and Jojoba Oil, Mineral Pigments and Microspheres
As far as waterproof concealers go, Mellinger is a fan of this budge-proof formula that contains hydrolyzed collagen and provides a whopping 24 hours of coverage without creasing or cracking. "I use it on everyone," Mellinger says, noting that it's "particularly great for covering acne."
One reviewer writes: "This really gets rid of the under eye baggage we don't want!" says a reviewer. "You don't even need to apply a lot on just a little bit and it really goes a long way!"
Key Ingredients: Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides
Mellinger calls this luxuriously creamy concealer a "makeup kit staple" because of its "fantastic range of shades," second-skin finish, and super-moisturizing formula that relies on hyaluronic acid and squalane to intensely hydrate.
One reviewer writes: "My go to concealer! It’s so lightweight and blends out beautifully. I love the coverage I have a lot of acne scars and it hides them without looking cakey!"
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Turmeric, Ashwagandha, Squalane, Watermelon Extract
Caffeine, niacinamide, and cornflower hydrolate are just some of the skin-loving ingredients you'll find in Typology's concealer, but the real star of the show is the serum-like formula that feels weightless on the skin but still provides buildable maximum coverage that stays put for hours on end.
One reviewer writes: " Typology tinted concealer brings moisture and glow to spots that need it, but it never settles into the creases!"
Key Ingredients: Caffeine, Niacinamide, Cornflower Hydrolate
Even if you didn't have a restful night, Lady Gaga's Haus Labs concealer will trick everyone into thinking you did. Packed with caffeine, niacinamide, arnica, and hyaluronic acid, this concealer visibly camouflages, brightens, and smooths with medium, buildable coverage, while also discouraging puffiness.
One reviewer says: "I have had several concealers I really liked over the years, but this one is unmatched. Perfectly blends with my skin with or without foundation and gives excellent buildable coverage. It doesn't settle into the fine lines around my eyes and lasts all day. I've found that a super small amount goes a long way, so I anticipate this bottle lasting a really long time. I cannot recommend this enough."
Key Ingredients: BioTech Caffeine, Niacinamide, Fermented Arnica, Hyaluronic Acid Complex
Mellinger calls Tower 28's serum-like concealer "so good," especially for those with sensitive skin. It glides onto skin like silk, providing a medium-buildable coverage, and is formulated with non-irritating ingredients, such as hydrating hyaluronic acid and redness-reducing centella asiatica leaf extract.
One reviewer says: "The concealer glides on extremely smooth and blends perfectly! I don’t even notice that I’m wearing it aside from the flawless skin look it gives me! I dab a little on my blemishes and under eyes every day but I have also blended it as a light-medium layer of foundation on days that need fuller coverage. I have very sensitive but combination skin and I would recommend this concealer to anyone!"
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Lysine
"The purpose of concealer is in the name—to conceal," says Mellinger. "We use concealer to cover up areas of the skin that we consider to be undesirable." That could be dark circles under the eyes, acne flare-ups, scars, or any dark spots on the face. Concealer can also sometimes be used to highlight or contour facial features.
When picking the best concealer, you want to choose one that matches the shade of skin on your face. For finding your perfect match, Mellinger says look for one with a shade that's similar to the skin on your jawline.
For dark circles, in particular, Mellinger recommends choosing a concealer with peach or orange undertones to help cancel out the blue under the eye.
Other important notes: "Make sure you match your concealer in daylight in order to get the best match," says Mellinger. "This is for the concealer to cover any general imperfections."
(Note: If you're using a cream concealer, Mellinger suggests applying with a fluffy brush to buff a small amount and then blending out in the same direction.)
Sophie Dweck is the associate shopping editor for Town & Country, where she covers beauty, fashion, home and décor, and more.
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